Cycle safari in Hells Gate

Yesterday morning started a little earlier than planned, when someone got out of their tent at 6:30 and shouted, "Hippos!" There were two, medium sized hippos grazing on the edge of the campsite. Even though we were separated from them by an electric fence, they still made us feel nervous enough to keep a respectful distance. Oh, and then Paula got pooed-on by a monkey, who was sat in the tree above her!

We then picked up our rental mountain bikes - some of the brakes worked, some of the gears worked - and headed off to Hells Gate National Park. Some cycled there and the rest piled their bikes onto the truck.

We all got on our bikes at the entrance to the park and set off for the Rangers Post. Along the way, we saw Hyrax (which we fed biscuits), Zebra, Griffin Vultures, Eagles, Thompson Gazelle, Eland, Ostrich, Baboons, Warthogs, a heard of Buffallo and a Giraffe. We also got sore bums from the bikes!

From the Rangers Station, we got off the bikes and went for a trek down a gorge which had us scrabbling down steep rocks and showering under natural hot springs.

The kids all put in a sterling effort on the cycle back, and none of us have ever seen Deb pedal as fast as she did, when she thought that we might get trampled by buffallo!

The lads then cycled back to the camp, stopping off at a Barclays cash machine in the middle of a slum.

Our lesson for the day: "45 minutes" really means two-and-a-half-hours.